Ozark Highlands Radio cover art

Ozark Highlands Radio

Ozark Highlands Radio

Written by: Ozark Folk Center State Park
Listen for free

About this listen

 Ozark Highlands Radio is a weekly radio program that features live music and interviews, recorded at Ozark Folk Center State Park’s beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium in Mountain View, Arkansas. In addition to the music, our “Feature Host” segments take listeners on a musical journey with historians, authors, and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.All rights reserved Music
Episodes
  • OHR Presents: The Rick Faris Band @Walnut Valley

    OHR Presents: The Rick Faris Band @Walnut Valley
    Feb 13 2026
    This week, a special road trip episode featuring award-winning Owensboro, Kentucky bluegrass singer/songwriter Rick Faris and his band recorded live at the 2024 Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. The annual Walnut Valley Festival, now in it’s 53rd season, is one of the oldest and most respected acoustic music festivals in the world. Held at the Winfield, Kansas fairgrounds, more than 30 musical acts will perform on four separate stages, presenting over 200 hours of live music. Also, there is a dedicated contest stage where contestants vie for national and international championships in Finger Style Guitar, Flat Pick Guitar, Bluegrass Banjo, Old Time Fiddle, Mandolin, Mountain Dulcimer, Hammered Dulcimer, and Autoharp. There is a juried arts and crafts fair, exhibits by renowned instrument makers and music shops, family activities, a bevy of food vendors, a farmer’s market and even a pub! An unusual aspect of Walnut Valley is its campground tradition. Campsites are not reserved and campers line up to claim a choice campsite during the "Land Rush.” Walnut Valley Festival goers often bring their own musical instruments to participate in the sometimes all night campground jam sessions. Bands like Old Sound and Sally & The Hurts that began as "Jam Bands" in the campgrounds, have even been invited to perform at the festival. Rick Faris is a Kansas Music Hall of Fame Member who was recently awarded the “Songwriter of the Year” at the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards making him an 8-time IBMA Award winner. In addition Rick won the coveted “New Artist of the Year” in 2022. Faris also spent 11 years with Special Consensus while the band earned two GRAMMY nominations before embarking on his chart topping solo career. The Rick Faris Band, is an International touring Bluegrass outfit playing in the US, Mainland Europe, the British Isles and Canada. They bring sibling harmony and comedic relief with brother JimBob Faris on bass and a youthful snap to their original brand of music with a couple of bluegrass thoroughbreds, Henry Burgess (who grew up with fiddle legend Byron Berline) and Gibson Davis (who is a third generation bluegrass musician following father Chris Davis and his Grandfather Danny Davis). Rick recently moved to Owensboro, Kentucky the Bluegrass Music Capital and has opened his Faris Guitar Co. - https://rickfaris.com/press-kit In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1988 archival recording of gospel music legends The Chuck Wagon Gang performing the 1934 J.R. Baxter song “After the Sunrise,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins explores the storied history of early gospel music publishing in the Ozark and Quachita Mountains.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • OHR Presents: Antsy McClain & Muriel Anderson Live

    OHR Presents: Antsy McClain & Muriel Anderson Live
    Jan 30 2026
    This week, celebrated singer/songwriter & hometown humorist Antsy McClain with world renowned harp-guitarist Muriel Anderson recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Antsy & Muriel. Antsy McClain brings his unique blend of music and “humor with heart” to the stage, combining his original songs with a hilarious slide show, including Antsy’s own life observations, social commentary and imaginary sponsors from his home town trailer park of Pine View Heights. As a master storyteller with the likes of PBS, NPR and TEDTalks under his belt, Antsy includes humorous and serious songs in his shows. Songs such as “One Less Trailer Here in Pine View Heights,” My Baby Whistles When She Walks,” and “The Junk Drawer of Your Heart,” are keenly humorous observations about love and loss, while his more serious songs, like “Field Trip,” “I’m Everyone,” or “Falling in Love in America,” are more akin to personal journal entries written in the act of living. It’s this tightrope walk between humor and heart that makes Antsy McClain a true original. - http://unhitched.com/antsys-bio/ One of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Her CD “Nightlight Daylight” was chosen as one of the top 10 CDs of the decade by Guitar Player Magazine her “Heartstrings” recording accompanied the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery. She has performed/recorded with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Victor Wooten and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Her obvious joy of music, humor and her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. An engaging performer, Muriel’s unique approach to the instrument virtually transforms the guitar into a lyrical choir, then a marching band, then a Japanese koto, then a Bluegrass band, one minute launching into a Beatles’ tune and the next, a Rodrigo concerto. Her video “Why Worry” has garnered a total of over 8 million views. Muriel is host of the renowned Muriel Anderson’s ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT® and founder of the MUSIC FOR LIFE ALLIANCE charity. - http://murielanderson.com/press/bio/ In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Robert & Mary Gillihan performing the traditional song “Banks of the Ohio,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode brings us a portrait of the White River Line railroad of the Ozarks, featuring interviews with George Lankford, professor emeritus at Lyon College in Batesville.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • OHR Presents: Suzy Bogguss Live

    OHR Presents: Suzy Bogguss Live
    Jan 13 2026
    This week, world renowned country music recording artist Suzy Bogguss recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Suzy. Best known for her country music hits in the 80’s and 90’s, Suzy Bogguss is an old time musician and fan at heart. Her 2011 release American Folk Songbook testified to this, and featured her versions of “Shenandoah, Banks of the Ohio, and Rock Island Line” among others. Now enjoying her “post stardom” career, and taking things at a decidedly and much welcomed slower pace, we caught up with Suzy for a feature performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. And yes, there are a few of her hits from the 80’s and 90’s in for good measure. In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onus Morrison demonstrating the traditional dance fiddle technique of playing with “fiddle sticks,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the first of three episodes on Ozark regional ballads. This episode features a recording of “The Boy That Burned in the Berryville Jail,” also called “Floyd Eddings,” sung by Ed Alford of Delmar, Arkansas on January 3, 1960. The recording was made by University of Arkansas folklorist Mary Parler, and is preserved in the University of Arkansas Ozark Folk Collection.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
No reviews yet